The emphasis in this disclosure is illustratively drawn to water and similar utility service, but the invention can apply to distribution or delivery, via piping or tubing, of any fluid or gas, or material substances behaving similarly (such as powders)—including fuel gases, such as natural gas and propane, as well as other gases such as dry nitrogen or air, helium and oxygen; hydraulic oils and similar motive fluids used for mechanical leverage, action-at-a-distance, or as a signaling medium; coolants, such as ethylene glycol, refrigerants, or oil; and material delivery of slurries, powders, soaps, and electrolytic solutions.
In the plumbing arts, especially for water distribution, trim tubes are often used to convert rough service piping to more finished piping that is joined to a supply connection, such as a valve body or a flexible supply hose, often using various methods in the joining arts, such as commonly used solder, flared, or compression-type fittings.
A trim tube (or cover, decorative cover, sleeve, extension or sheath, as often named in the art) is often plated with a metal such as gold, silver, chrome, nickel, brass, zinc, or an alloy such as bronze, using electrolytic or other known deposition techniques. Trim tubes are also often finished to a high or other desired luster, such as to a satin finish.
An added function for trim tubes is that they can provide increased protection for service pipes. For example, incoming copper service pipes in residential service are often unsightly and can need protection from physical abuse. A common residential application is cited in FIGS. 1 and 2 below. In some industrial applications, a trim tube can offer protection from dust, such as wheat or grain dust, saw dust, or abrasive dusts, or general protection by preventing physical contact with the service pipe.
Two general types of trim tube arrangements are found in the prior art, as cited below in FIG. 6. In the first, the trim tube becomes part of the plumbing system, and must be joined to incoming service pipe. In the second, the trim tube acts solely as a covering, with the service pipe connected directly to a supply component such as a valve body or supply hose.
In a typical residential or light commercial application, the first type of trim tube is often employed, and is customarily joined or soldered to an incoming service pipe, as cited in FIG. 9 and elsewhere. A solder joint is typically used, where the joint is almost always made on a visible part of the service pipe. It is difficult and time consuming even for a skilled plumber or installer to sweat solder a plated trim tube to the service pipe it covers without heat from the solder joining process causing blackening, discoloring, blemishing, tarnishing, or scratching of the plating on the trim tube, as well as causing possible thermal damage or discoloring to any adjacent wall or floor. In addition, if cross-linked polyethylene (PEX) tubing, or polyvinyl chloride (PVC) tubing are used, an adapter is needed to convert to metal pipe or tube service. It is often necessary to break plaster, wall board, or flooring to hide the adapter inside a wall or below a floor. This requires wall and/or floor repair after plumbing is complete. PEX and PVC pipe or tube is also sensitive to heat, and can often be damaged by soldering the plated trim tube too close to the adapter fitting that is attached to the PEX or PVC pipe.
Furthermore, if the trim tube is joined to the service pipe, it must meet engineering standards for plumbing, such as promulgated by the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM). This drives up weight and cost for the trim tube.
The second type of trim tube used in the prior art uses slip-on decorative tubes which are typically not as securely affixed, can loosen over time, and can allow oxidation and moisture entry between the trim tube and the service pipe. They often can require certain mating components, as well as additional assembly steps.
Both types of trim tubes require additional assembly and/or joining steps, as discussed below, which increase job costs and make disassembly more difficult.
These problems are not addressed by the prior art. For example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 999,332 to P. Mueller and 1,502,154 to P. Mueller et al., do not provide trim tubes, but rather use a polished or finished supply line. The arrangement taught requires that the supply line be a smaller diameter than the unfinished service pipe that typically comes from a wall, wall space, or floor. The polished/nickled supply pipe thus installed is subjected to water service and is pressurized, and must meet plumbing standards.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,161,568 to Dragotta employs a trim tube (pipe protector 26) which is soldered to service pipe at one end and threaded for joining to valving. This arrangement requires that the trim tube be sealingly joined to the service pipe using a solder joint, with the attendant problems cited above.
Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 3,105,707 to Jacobson also uses solder or sweat joint, and the trim tube, chrome-plated tube 27, must be supported by contact with an adapter fitting 12 and an escutcheon plate 28. This arrangement for securing chrome-plated tube 27 can allow oxidation, as the tube is slid onto the adapter fitting 12 and not secured permanently, and cooperation of the chrome-plate tube 27 must be achieved when sliding over the supporting surface 19 of the adapter fitting 12. Furthermore, the chrome-plated tube must be used in conjunction with a precisely sized adapter fitting 12.